What Is China's New Citizens Movement?

10/29/2013 12:33AM

A trial this week of three activists from China's New Citizens Movement is seen as a test of how hard a line Chinese authorities plan to take with a group pushing for greater rule of law. The WSJ's Jake Lee speaks with Josh Chin about the movement.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the the ... is underway in China against new systems maintenance ... group pushing for its core change ... this is Asia's today mine GE and joined by reports and jokes Chin from Beijing ... justices fastening sees his bid for the new maven underway in China ... tokens three what is this new system is made with them one of the dimming ... his movement is ... it is sort of a loose ... affiliation of people come across China ... it's made up of the known series rights lawyers and activists ... up with a really interesting thing about it is that it also involves use of white collar or ... urban professionals by even a few wealthy wealthy businessmen so it did it did so it's broken quite a few people ... and ... then we'll see what they are after ... it is a range of issues ... including the storm equal access to education ... of which the rule of law they want China to respect the individual rights are enshrined in the Constitution what freedom of speech and freedom of of ... sadly which aren't necessarily ... forced ... out by authorities ... they also are pressing for ... transparency they want to ... do than calling for ... China's top officials to disclose their family assets ... as a way to to ... this is Battle ... eruption ... pretty controversial stuff but everything Chinese government doesn't like the sounds like a pretty heavy crackdown on the way to DVD sales ... Brian was so um the the the the government hasn't according to human rights watch ... the government is is detained or arrested about the team members of the group ... the crackdown some started in March ... right after of the ... major ... government meetings annual government meetings in Beijing ... as some of them ... this basically progress ... steadily ever since um ... yesterday we had the first to the first activists who were both with the new citizens group who were detained without trial ... in eastern China ... which is seen as a sort of a test case for how the government is going to ... stick and proceed with this and you know what what a lot of people say both in the movement in the end and so researchers and human rights advocates outside of China ... misstated the threat to the government ... of them ... goes by the new citizens movement is is you ... that it is brought in this is why people here are some of these people are ... you know of the four winners in China's in China's economic growth but these are sort of middle-class businessman people who who view the fairly comfortable lives not just not the usual ... activists and in kind of ... petitioners instead of other people do you typically see Sir calling for change for you being you think engine and a means of reporting on on this ... focus through ... how they doing and how they get together how they get around some of these the back of some on the pavement the cuts have that that the fall ... well you know what that what the really interesting things of the new citizens movement has been doing ... it is is it is in an effort to get around laws to prevent people from assembling illegally ... is to get together for once the debtors ... so did the you know and and this is happening in multiple cities ... of for awhile was happening is that you have read the last week and everyone ... they would just gather together over dinner and concert into stocks ... up ... of their ideas for for reform in China and in the idea behind this is that you know it's not illegal to view the government to quit it's illegal to get together to eat fruit ... especially in a country like China were were were were few dinners of such an important ... part of the culture ... and you know they're slogan is is you know we wanted to exchange China ... of other that that is is also using the sort of thing that that that the government resettlement very nervous you know anytime you get a lot of ... people together in one room ... this is discussing these issues of interest here is that they're the next step is to go to the streets fascinating ... Josh in a seven goal multiply on the story of the now thinking say much for joining ... when Jamie this is Asia's today for more on that story and many more please get to dovish to go ...